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Analyzing "Africa" Poem's Themes

The poem describes Africa from the perspective of someone who has never known their ancestral homeland but whose blood comes from Africa. It references the pride and traditions of ancient African warriors, and the suffering of current Africans under colonial rule, depicted as backs bent under humiliation and bearing whip marks. However, the last stanza offers a message of hope, saying that through patience and obstinance, Africans will gradually acquire the "bitter taste of liberty."

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Elisha Renee
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78 views2 pages

Analyzing "Africa" Poem's Themes

The poem describes Africa from the perspective of someone who has never known their ancestral homeland but whose blood comes from Africa. It references the pride and traditions of ancient African warriors, and the suffering of current Africans under colonial rule, depicted as backs bent under humiliation and bearing whip marks. However, the last stanza offers a message of hope, saying that through patience and obstinance, Africans will gradually acquire the "bitter taste of liberty."

Uploaded by

Elisha Renee
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Elisha Renee V.

Candaliza

Jessica R. Vidallon

ED401

Africa

Africa, my Africa
Africa of proud warriors in ancestral savannahs
Africa of whom my grandmother sings
On the banks of the distant river

I have never known you


But your blood flows in my veins
Your beautiful black blood that irrigates the fields
The blood of your sweat
The sweat of your work
The work of your slavery

Africa, tell me Africa


Is this you, this back that is bent
This back that breaks
Under the weight of humiliation
This back trembling with red scars
And saying yes to the whip under the midday sun

But a grave voice answers me


Impetuous child that tree, young and strong
That tree over there
Splendidly alone amidst white and faded flowers
That is your Africa springing up anew
Springing up patiently, obstinately
Whose fruit bit by bit acquires
The bitter taste of liberty
ANALYSIS:

 First Stanza
-
 Second Stanza
-
 Third Stanza
- The third stanza implies that his fellow Africans, though not met by the author, should
take a stand in all of the sufferings they encountered with the colonialists who hold the
“whip”. The author encourages the Africans to be strong as they face the hardships they
are handling. He also reminds them of the pride and courage they have to endure under
the midday sun where they work.
 Fourth Stanza
- The last stanza states that there is still hope under the suffering that his fellow Africans
are experiencing; that they will achieve liberty once they plant in their minds the
patience that everyone must think of. The author reflects that they shall acquire
freedom from the hands of the colonialists who made them as slaves for a quite long
time in their own homeland. They may not get the freedom they want as of the current
status in the poem, but little by little they will get the sweet success they were all
longing for.

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